Russian Fairytales Through The Eyes Of Photographer Uldus Bakhtiozina

Published 3 years ago

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Through her images, Russian photographer Uldus Bakhtiozina takes an unexpectedly surreal look at traditional Russian fairytales. The stories, often full of pagan symbols, myths, and spooky settings, are brought into modern reality. With eccentric costumes and unsettling surroundings, Bakhtiozina blends modern fashion photography and ethnic heritage together.

“It’s all about telling a story. I am constantly inspired and my way of expressing this is by taking photos, it’s my way of sharing my experiences,” writes Bakhtiozina. “There are way too many bland, cold, boring fashion and lifestyle photos out there. My photos try to express something deeper than today’s average trendy photo formula. I want to be learning something or feeling something when I’m looking at a photo – so I try to create the same experience with my photography. With my art. With my Life!“

Winter Face

Ivan The Prince

“Ivan is the common hero in Russian fairy tales. Normally, his goal is to find something that no one else can. Although, he speaks with animals, flies on carpets, fights with dragons, he’s often called a fool. However, etymologically durak (‘fool’ in English) means “someone who follows the sun”. Unfortunately, the word had gained a negative meaning in Slavic languages.“

Soul Of Forest

Baba Yaga

“Baba Yaga had been transformed into a bad character in modern Russian fairy tales, although originally she was a strong sorcerer who opened the gate to other world. The name of that world is Three Ninth Kingdom in fairy; the land is covered in kisel shores and milky rivers.”

Magic of Kisel shores

Olenushka and her brother Ivanushka

Tsarevna the Frog

“Princess Frog’s story is sad. According to this fairy tale, “kind people” (!) turned a princess into a frog (according to another version, it was her father who did it because she was smarter than him). She was living in the swamps but once she got lucky, the story begins…”

White Swan and Milky Rivers

The Seven Knights and the Dead Princess

Red Beauty/ Krasna Devica

“Red beauty (Krasna devica) used to be a name for any young pretty girl in Russian land, though meaning again has nothing to do with the color but with the goddess of modesty and freedom of youth.”